Williams to conservatives: Make noise

Monday

Sen. Phil Williams, R-Rainbow City, wants conservatives to get out their megaphones and yell like they did last November, producing a Republican tidal wave at the polls.

Sen. Phil Williams, R-Rainbow City, wants conservatives to get out their megaphones and yell like they did last November, producing a Republican tidal wave at the polls.“Keep your voice,” Williams told the Etowah Republican Women’s Federation on Monday.Last year was the year of the “noisy conservative,” Williams said.“But we can’t stop being noisy, and I’ll tell you right now, the other side of the spectrum has not slowed down,” said Williams, who defeated three-term incumbent Larry Means in November for the District 10 Senate seat. “They are trying right now to regain their footing and figure out how to take back lost ground.”Williams said when a bill comes up that opposes “the liberal interests,” legislators are inundated with emails, letters, office visits and phone calls. He said there rarely are calls from conservatives that say “good job, make sure you vote that way, don’t let them sway you.”Williams, whose district includes Etowah County and a portion of Cherokee County, said he can stand up under the criticism, but added, “But it sure is nice once in a while to hear a conservative say ‘we’ve got your back.’”Williams encouraged the group to stay active, be aware of what is going on in the Legislature and tell legislators what they think of pending bills. He also encouraged it to add new members and help the GOP grow.Williams pointed out he’s the only freshman senator to be “lampooned” three times in cartoons by the Alabama Education Association’s Journal.He said he sent out an email last week to 1,000 teachers in his district and throughout the state.“The overwhelming response I get is ‘thank you for giving us the other side of the story,’ because what Paul Hubbert (AEA executive secretary) says is no longer the gospel in Alabama, and that’s a big deal too,” Williams said. “The votes are going a different direction than they were a year ago. We’re getting a lot done and we’ve still got a few weeks to go.”He said this legislative session and December’s special session on ethics “has literally (changed) the landscape politically.”

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